Under the Surface
by Shikamaru'sLove
Summary: Princess of Thieves reboot. Once upon a time, a little pickpocket got her entire life turned around when she was caught by a certain white-haired thief. 5,000 years later, Willow has just gotten back from dancing in America and is looking forward to being back home. But she doesn't remember ever feeling this way about Ryou. Something's different about him; something sinister. YBXOC


**Hello! So, here's a new story everyone! For those who are coming from Princess of Thieves, I was re-reading it and decided to go a different route. This story isn't going to be that different but it's not going to be like Princess. I was thinking to go all Once Upon a Time style and do a chapter modern and then a chapter in the past. I thought it would be an interesting way to do things.**

**For those that are completely new to this, you don't have to already have read Princess of Thieves, I actually cringe when I think of it, mostly because I feel like stuff I wrote 3 years ago are insanely cheesy. But, I'm not going to take it down so, you are more that welcome to go read that while you wait for this story to update. **

**Sigh, I have too many stories out and as you guys know, I am terrible at updating, especially with school and all that jazz. But, I'm taking a creative writing course next quarter so, that may give me a chance to write more often :)**

**Anyways, read and enjoy everyone.**

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><p><strong>(FYI: the whole Joey stealing the last piece of the puzzle didn't happen in this rendition. And Midnight is now a boy…yea, that one was an accident but I was too lazy to change it ;P)<strong>

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><p>The sound of birds chirping filled the quiet morning air and the cool breeze blew through the trees, rustling their leaves, adding to the early morning symphony. The soft sunlight streamed in through the light orange curtains of the game shop window. Inside the room with the orange curtains, a cat slumbered on the sill, his charcoal coat shining lightly in the sun as he purred on, dreams of chasing mice dancing in his head.<p>

The cat aside, the room looked as any other teenager's room would look: a dresser against one orange painted wall, clothes spilling out of drawers like a waterfall, covering the floor in an assortment of shirts and pants. A wooden gun leaned against the wall next to it, it's white surface scratched and dented, revealing the pale wood underneath. Against another wall was a desk, a computer sitting idle with papers streamed across it haphazardly. A cello case sat against the opposite wall next to a keyboard, sheet music stacked neatly on two or three music stands (one could never tell how many there actually were) behind it, ready to be practiced. Random posters of movies and musicals decorated the walls and a pair of padded weapons gloves sat atop the dresser, worn from use.

So maybe, this one was not like _any _other teenager; this one was rather…eccentric.

Against the window with the orange curtains, lay a bed with matching orange sheets and comforter with a lump underneath. Auburn hair spilled out onto the pillows along with light snores to further add to the concerto of the morning. All seemed right with the world.

However, the clock on the nightstand read 6:59 and then the quiet was shattered.

BEEP. BEEP.

A groan came from the lump and a pale arm ventured out of the warmth of the comforter, searching blindly for the snooze button. Slamming a palm on the large button, the hand retracted itself beneath the blanket with a satisfied sigh as the annoying sound ended and attempted to snuggle into sleep once more.

However, life had other plans.

"Willow!" Knock. Knock. "Willow, come on, we have to get ready for school. It's the first day." The muffled voice from behind the door pleaded gently. The lump groaned again and turned away from the door, "That's not actually a thing, Yugi. Don't let them brainwash you into thinking that it is." A sleepy feminine voice came from beneath the blanket. A chuckle came from the door and it opened just a bit, "'Night, wake her up, yea?" he said quietly, tossing a jingling ball onto the lump, catching the awakened feline's attention. The tomcat leapt down from his perch and onto his mistress, searching for the ball.

The lump squealed and giggled as the cat pawed lightly at her face as she reluctantly left her cocoon of comforters. Emerald glared playfully at the cat as she rubbed underneath his chin, his eyes closing in happiness, "Oh, 'Night, you little traitor." Midnight's own green eyes opened and he looked at her with as smug a face as a cat could give his owner before bounding off in search of food. The girl yawned and stretched, running hands over her face and through her auburn curls as she did. After glaring at the alarm clock for a moment, she headed to the bathroom, cursing the cold hardwood as she went.

OoOoO

Once she was clean and awake, Willow put her long curls into a short bun and threw on her uniform, glad that she had lied on her paperwork and stated that she was a boy. The pink of the girl's uniform was horrid and if she had to wear a uniform, she would much rather wear the pants and jacket than the skirt. After gathering her books and backpack, she hurried down the stairs to the table where her grandfather had set up breakfast.

Her brother was already at the table and waved when she walked into the kitchen. Plucking a piece of bacon from the plate in the middle, Willow sat next to her brother, nudging him playfully, "So, what's the plan? Are we waiting for the boys to get here before we head out?" The two always walked with Joey and Tristan, ever since the two had made amends for being bullies to him, no thanks to Willow, who had beat them up whenever she either heard or saw them picking on Yugi. She was a few months younger than he was, but she was fiercely protective of her family; not to mention she always felt she was a bit older since she was a bit taller.

The star haired boy nodded, reaching for the orange juice. A flash of gold caught her attention and she saw the finished puzzle hanging from his neck, "Oh, you finished it?" he smiled, "Yea, a few months ago while you were away." She grinned and he took it off to show her. It was heavier than she had expected, but was beautiful none the less. The gold shone brilliantly in the sunlight and the eye in the middle seemed to draw her in…

"Yugi! Willow! Joey and Tristan are here!" Her grandfather's voice shook her from her daze and she handed the puzzle back to Yugi, "It's beautiful." She grabbed her backpack, downed her juice and grabbed the last piece of bacon, "Let's go."

Joey met them halfway, "Wills! Ya here!" She grinned widely before he had her in his arms, swinging her around in a bear hug, "I missed ya! I had to hang with that bonehead all summer!" He motioned to Tristan with his head as he placed her on the ground once more. Tristan made a sound of disagreement with Joey's statement but hugged her none the less, "Missed you, kiddo." She groaned, "Tristan, I'm older than you." He scoffed and ruffled her hair, "By a month. Besides, you're still short, so you're still 'kiddo'." She rolled her eyes and called out a, "Bye Grandpa!" before the group headed out of the game shop.

OoOoO

As the four walked, Joey and Tristan bugged her about where she had been all summer but she wanted to wait until the entire gang was together so she could tell them all at once. They didn't take her answer well and went on to bug Yugi, who only knew that she had been in America but wouldn't tell them that much. Yugi didn't even know the full story, just that she was really happy when she had gotten off of the plane a few days ago and said that she was really tired and would explain once everyone was there.

"Aw, come on Wills. You can tell me!" Joey pleaded, his brown eyes giving her the puppy dog effect, "Argh, fine." She groaned, "I was on-" She was cut off by her phone buzzing, it was Téa,

"Yea?"

"Willow, where are you guys, class starts in five minutes."

"Relax, Téa, we'll make it…" She glanced at her watch, "Maybe."

"Maybe?! What do y-" Willow hung up on her response and turned to the boys with pursed lips.

"So, Téa says hi…and that class starts in, like, five minutes."

The four looked at each other before running down the street as fast as their feet could take them, which wasn't very far in poor Yugi's case. They stopped just across the street from the school to catch their breath, "Come on, guys! We're gonna make it!" Willow shouted encouragingly, running across the street without looking.

"Willow! Wait!"

"Whoa look out!"

The sound of a horn honking caught her attention, but before she could turn around, arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her out of harm's way. A loud, "Watch where you're going, Muto!" was shouted from the rear window of the car as it drove by and into the parking lot. Her breaths came in short, sharp gasps and she turned to see who her savior was, "Are you alright?" a soft, British voice asked from above her. White hair filled her vision along with brilliant brown eyes, it was Bakura, "Oh, Ryou, thank you! I'm fine, thanks to you." She smiled in gratitude, giving him a light peck on the cheek. He flushed and released her.

"Willow! Are you ok?!"

"Ya could have been roadkill! What were ya thinking, Wills?"

"Grandpa would have killed us if anything happened to you!"

Willow sighed, "I'm fine guys, thanks to Ryou, I'm not hamburger meat." She smiled at him and then giggled at the blush that dusted his cheeks, "I just wanted to get to school before the b-" A shrill bell rang out, startling the group. They froze for a moment before rushing across the street. They stealthily entered their homeroom and sat in the back row without being noticed, except for Téa, who glowered at them for being late. Willow glared right back playfully, before pulling out her notebook and taking notes.

OoOoO

The teacher droned on and on about math and how important it was to life, etc. Willow wasn't paying much attention, blindly writing down what he already had written on the board, it was all that was keeping her awake. A light tug on her hair made her turn her head slightly to the left, else Mr. White catch her talking. It was Joey. He grinned at her and handed her a note. She opened it slowly and carefully underneath her desk before placing it slightly beneath her journal.

**So, where did ya been?!**

Willow rolled her eyes before scrawling back a reply.

_Not here, obviously. I told you, I wanna tell everyone when we're all together._

She hastily folded the note back up before passing it back beneath his desk, by kicking it across the floor. She saw him read it out of the corner of her eye and continued her note taking. A slight bump against her converse made her reach down and pick up the note.

**But I wanna know now!**

She sent him a glare and he returned it with those warm puppy dog eyes of his.

_That's not my problem, now is it?!_

Was her hasty scrawl before she threw it back.

She ignored him and continued taking notes, which had transformed into doodles instead.

Her pencil moved across the page, slowly at first, lightly sketching a face and outlining its features. As she continued, her movements became more hurried as she darkened some lines around the face and hair. Once that was done, she began to sketch the eyes and nose in an almost hypnotic fashion. Willow was so transfixed by her drawing that she didn't notice Joey trying to get her attention.

A folded piece of paper hit her in the face, "What the hell?!" She hissed and the entire class heard her. Once she realized the note, she tried to stuff it into her coat pocket or inside her notebook. Mr. White headed in her direction as she frantically tried to hide the note. Just as she placed the paper behind her notes, a shadow fell over her desk, "Is there a problem, Mr. Muto?" Willow cleared her throat, her voice taking a slight deep tone, "No, sir. Everything's fine." She said, smiling up at the professor. He frowned, brown eyes narrowing, "Be sure that it stays that way, young man." She nodded, "Yes, sir." He nodded and returned to his lecture.

As soon as the spotlight was off of her, Willow sighed in relief and opened the note,

**Dude, come on. For me?**

She looked up at Joey, who was once again giving her the puppy eyes.

She all but groaned at the look and wrote back:

_No, I'm gonna tell all of you at lunch. So you'll just have to wait._

When the teacher wasn't looking, she threw the note at Joey, who let out a yelp and fell back out of his chair. Willow couldn't hold in her laughter and soon the whole class was laughing along with her, Joey included. Once Mr. White had the class quiet, he continued his lesson, looking sternly in the two delinquents' direction. Willow calmed herself and returned to her sketch as Joey returned to his seat. The class when on without another interruption from Joey and the bell signaled the beginning of lunch.

Looking down at her finished sketch, Willow froze. It was Ryou, but it wasn't Ryou. It looked like him, but there was something darker about the eyes of the sketch; something sinister. It made her shiver and not in the good way, "Hey, Wills, ya coming or what?" Joey called from the doorway, "We gotta hurry or all the good food will be gone." Willow stuffed the notebook into her backpack, "Yea, I'm coming." She would worry about the drawing later. Though she could feel a hole burning its way in the bottom of her bag, where the notebook lay.

OoOoO

Slowly but surely, the group gathered in Ms. Caldwell's classroom, their official homeroom. They sat in silence and stared at the red head, who sat back, munching on her melon bread. She cocked her head to the side, "What?" Joey threw himself dramatically over her shoulder, "You were gonna tell us where ya been all summer!" Willow laughed and pulled out her laptop, opening up a video.

She took a deep breath and looked at them; Joey remained over her shoulder, Téa sat across from her, Yugi in the desk next to hers, his facing Tristan's, which had been turned so they could play duel monsters. Willow bit her lip, "You guys have to promise me that you won't laugh." Tristan cocked his head to the side, "Why would we laugh? Were you in some kind of carnival or something?" Willow shivered, she hated clowns, "No, nothing like that. It's just…" She trailed off. Yugi placed a warm palm on her hand, "What is it? You seemed so excited to tell us and really happy when you got off the plane yesterday." She nodded and smiled, "Yea, I really want to tell you guys, but I'm not sure if you guys will find it as interesting as I do, ya know?" Joey scoffed, "Dude, we play card games. We can't really talk when it comes to interesting things." Willow laughed, "That's true." But she still wasn't sure.

Téa rolled her eyes, a smile on her face, "If you don't show us whatever you're going to show us, I'm just gonna take the laptop from you." That made the red head grin, "Ok, here goes. So, all summer I've been in America on tour with a dance company. We didn't just dance though, we also spun equipment, flags, rifles and sabers, like a colorguard- Oh, I'll just show you." She tapped play on the video and turned it so they could all see.

On the screen, they saw a massive gymnasium with what seemed to be a million people in its stands, all screaming and shouting at whatever was taking place on the floor below. Dark, ominous music resounded throughout the gym, creating echoes. A pair of black and white walls served as backdrops. A wing of pure white feathers was painted on the dark wall and a wing of scorched and blackened feathers was painted on the light wall. They were painted in a way that when placed together they looked like a completed pair of wings, one demonic and one angelic.

At least half of the people on the floor wore tight, red uniforms that looked tattered and worn; they danced in chaotic and jolting movements across the space towards the group wearing similar white uniforms. The ones in white, however, danced with elegance, making their pristine, flowy gown float around them gracefully. Once the two groups collided, the music changed to a magnificent brassy choir as they all picked up a flag of their respective colors and began to spin in sync, creating a beautiful image.

As the flag feature carried on, a familiar red haired girl in a cream dress danced out from behind the backdrops and towards the front of the floor, her face scrunched up and angry. She spun and pirouetted her way through the large group as they parted to make way for her, the music took a more violent and ominous tone. A few boys in red picked her up mid-leap and spun her to the front, tearing off her uniform as they did, revealing a sparkling crimson gown underneath.

The group stared transfixed at the scene before them, "Wills! That's you!" Joey exclaimed in her ear. Willow winced and rubbed her ear, "Yea, Joey, I remember, I was there."

Once she was placed on the ground, she ran to the front of the floor and picked up a white piece of wood that resembled a gun. She paused for a moment as the camera zoomed in on her form, her face was fierce and strong, her auburn mane adding to the mad look in her eyes and complimenting her uniform. Her pause was brief as she prepped and tossed the gun quickly, catching it just as fast. She spun it expertly in her fingers as a group of others in red gathered behind her, barring similar guns. They moved together as a unit as they danced a twirled their rifles with angry faces and harsh roars.

The figures on the floor kept their dance going as Willow went into crazy spins on her own. Then just as the music came to an almost silence, she released the gun into the air. As it did, she turned and jumped into a ground roll, her upper body delicate yet strong, staying straight as she did. As soon as she got up from her roll, the rifle landed deftly in her gloved grip, making a resounding snap, just as the music resumed in it's dark descent. She bent backwards from the impact as if the rifle weighed her down. Then the screen went black and the video ended.

The others sat in silence as Willow gently closed the laptop lid. She bit her lip, they were abnormally quiet, _Did they completely hate it?_ Just as that thought crossed her mind, Joey swung her into his arms in a tight hug as the others cheered, "That was amazing Wills!" Joey praised. "Yea, I don't think I've seen anything like that ever!" Tristan agreed. Yugi smiled at her as the blonde placed her back on her feet, "I'm so proud of you. That must have taken a lot time and training." Willow smiled, "Thank you! That was our championship performance. We won the world title." They gasped and her grin grew, "Yea, I got a medal!" She giggled as the boys cheered and congratulated her.

The only one who wasn't cheering or praising was Téa, who kept staring at the place where the laptop had been in silence. When she did look up, her eyes had a slight sheen to them. Willow saw this, her own eyes widening, "Téa- Wait!" She called just as the other girl ran from the room.

"What's her problem?" Joey asked, digging out his duel monsters deck to duel with Yugi. Willow sighed, rushing after the girl. The boys called out after her, but she ignored them. She loved Téa, but she didn't always have the best way of accepting others' happiness; it was always Téa's dream to go to New York and dance, and when Willow did it, she got jealous. Willow shook her head, 'That's not a fair thought. I should have told her about it, maybe even asked her to audition with me…'

The red head was so caught up in her own internal thoughts that she didn't notice the figure in front of her as she rounded a corner until she had already run directly into them.

Oof.

Willow immediately began to apologize, but the words on her tongue turned to dust as she looked into a cool pair of mahogany eyes. She suddenly forgot how to breathe as her emerald eyes stared into them, mesmerized completely. She barely felt the large, warm hands that rested on her waist to steady her, as her eyes ran over a familiar face, the white hair catching her memory. She shivered at the odd sense of safety she felt in his presence; like she had been in this position before. Well, she supposed she had. He _did_ save her in the parking lot earlier. But as she continued to stare into his mahogany gaze, she was reminded of her sketch in her journal and the ominous aura it radiated.

She shivered again for a different reason than before and just as suddenly as the connection was made, it was broken, "Oh, Ryou, it's you." Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice shouted that the being in front of her was not the sweet boy she knew, but something much darker. Willow ignored it, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run into you. I was trying to catch up with Téa. There was a misunderstanding and she ran off. Have you seen her by chance?" She rambled. Ryou nodded and motioned with his head behind him; his hands still had not left her waist. This time she noticed, "Um…Ryou..?" She placed a hand on his arm, catching his attention, "Oh, sorry. I have to get to class." He said, his voice slightly higher than normal and he released her like she was on fire, hurrying down the hall and around a corner, "Wait, but it's still-" She was cut off by the bell. "Shit!" Willow groaned, all but sprinting down the hall.

OoOoO

Bakura stood pressed against the wall of lockers and listened to the girl as she cursed and hurried back to class. Once she was gone, he released a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding. That was close; he had noticed her weariness of him, as though she could sense that it wasn't Ryou but the spirit of the ring possessing this body.

He hadn't even realized that she was that close to him; he'd been trying to avoid her since Ryou had moved them here. He was just walking around the school, trying to get a feel for the place, maybe try to find the pharaoh. Then suddenly a small body had run into him and his hand had instinctively gone to her waist to steady her, like he had done so many times before. He stared into a familiar pair of emerald orbs; they really needed to stop meeting like that, he mused to himself. He felt her shiver against him, not only once, but twice and both times he fought a satisfied smirk. "Oh, Ryou, it's you." A small part of him wanted to correct her; tell her that he wasn't Ryou.

But, he bit his tongue and answered her question with a tilt of his head. He just wanted to stay in this moment, and as childish as it sounded, he missed holding her in his arms. However, everything must have an end, "Um…Ryou..?" She placed a hand on his arm, bringing his focus back to the present. Clearing his throat, he forced his voice higher, to be more like Ryou's, "Oh, sorry. I have to get to class." Then, reluctantly, he released her and retreated to the empty hall of lockers.

Now, he sighed and glared at the clock across from him, trying to put the thought of her warm body against his out of his mind. It was as if the past was deliberately haunting him, causing painful memories to rise to the surface, bringing long forgotten heartache in its wake. A light giggle floated to his ears and a girl with red hair and green eyes danced across his vision; he closed his eyes and let the memory unfold.

"_Come on Bakura! Dance with me!" She begged, tugging on his hand, the rings glimmering in the candlelight, like the emerald in her eyes. The thief looked at the princess in amusement; her light pink lips pursed in a slight pout, making her seem more child-like. He watched his men dance to the music around the hall, celebrating merrily. Then, he turned his attention to the princess, watching the way her cream gown moved around her as she sat in the chair next to him. It bunched up around her waist as she squirmed in her seat, revealing her tanned legs to his gaze. _

_She tugged on his hand again, bringing his attention to her face once more, "Please?" she asked, her green eyes growing wide and puppy-like. Bakura sighed and threaded his fingers in hers, pulling her into his lap. She let a shrieking giggle, settling herself on his lap, tanned legs straddling his own, "Bakura, the men could see." She reprimanded, slapping his chest lightly, a blush dusting her cheeks. He caught her hand and laced their fingers together, smirking, "Let them." He said and then pulled her forward, capturing her lips with his own. _

_Her lips moved against his gently, trying not to take it too far, else they be unable to control themselves. He released her hands and wrapped one arm around her waist, burying his other hand in her auburn tresses. She looped her arms around his neck and tilted her head, changing the angle of the kiss. It wasn't a deep kiss, but it lasted long enough for her to relax in his grip. Though, the whistling and cheering of the crowd interrupted them. She pulled away and rested her head against his shoulder, breathing lightly, playing with his white locks idly. _

_He gently nipped at her ear, "Would you still like to dance, Kitten?" he whispered, enjoying the shiver it sent down her spine. She looked up at him, her emerald eyes glazed over with lust. Then she leaned up, tracing the shell of his ear with her nose, "A dance of a different kind." She murmured, slowly rotating her hips onto his, making him growl._

_Suddenly he stood, lifting her into his arms, bridal-style, "Please excuse us gentlemen, but I believe it's time to consummate this union!" he announced, making the drunken crowd cheer and whistle. His princess blushed and buried her face into his bare chest, "Bakura." She groaned. He chuckled and started walking down the hall._

He sighed and opened his eyes, walking towards his hosts' classroom. That had been long ago, during happier times.

Times he knew he could never return to.

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><p><strong>EHEHEHEHE~ So, what do you think? I should have the next chapter up next weekend, maybe. Holidays are a thing, but I just finished my finals so, I definitely <em>should<em> have it up before Christmas at the very least. Remember, next chapter will be set in the Egyptian time period, so that should be interesting. **

**Anyways, like always, lovelies,  
>Leave a contribution in the little box<br>**

**Until next time,  
>~Shikamaru'sLove<strong>


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